Now, of that which is the Tranquil, space is the support. And of that which is the Abounding, food here is the support.

Therefore one should give of food and drink, for the sake of an abundance of vigor, for the winning of the righteous world, and for immortality in the Garden.

[The enumeration of sacrificial rites and the realms won by each: removed as ritual minutiae.]

The Inner Soul in the material world furnishes the individual's and the sun's existence

As the existence of a lamp

Is because of combination of wick, support, and oil,

So these two, the self and the bright sun,

Exist because of the command of God and the world He created.

The provision of food passes by God's command to the sun and back into life

37 Therefore, one should reverence God with the remembrance of Om, whose bright power is unlimited. This has been manifested in threefold wise: in fire, in the sun, and in the breath of life.

Now, by God's decree the abundance of food that has been given is carried by its channel to the sun. The moisture which flows therefrom rains down. Thereby living creatures here exist. From living creatures come offspring.

On this point they quote: 'The sun rains down with its rays. Thereby arises food; from food, the production of beings.'

For thus has it been said: —

The offering fitly given

Arises up unto the sun.

From out the sun, rain is produced;

From rain, food; living creatures thence.

The course to God even here in the body

38 He who devotes himself to God rends the net of eager desire.

Thence, having cut off confusion, he no longer approves of anger.

Turning from desire, he then cuts through the fourfold sheath of the world.

Thence he goes to the highest heights. There, truly, having passed through the spheres of the sun, of the moon, of fire, and of pure being, himself being purified, he is brought to the presence of God who is immovable, immortal, unshaken, enduring, the All-Pervading, the ultimate abode, endowed with true desires and with omniscience, independent, who stands in His own greatness. On this point they quote: —

In the midst of the sun stands the moon;

In the midst of the moon, fire.

In the midst of fire stands pure being.

In the midst of pure being stands the Unshaken One.

Having meditated upon Him who is within the body nearer than the jugular vein, more subtle than the subtle, then one goes to the supreme condition; for therein all desires are contained. On this point they quote: —

Of size of thumb or span within the body,

A light of twofold or of threefold brightness,

This God who is being praised,

The Great — He encompasses all beings!

Om! Adoration to God! yea, adoration!

Seventh Prapathaka

God, the Lord of the world, and His signs

1 The Light, the meters, the hymns, the chants, the spring season, the breath of life, the stars, the angels, issue forth to the east; they shine, they rain, they praise, they enter again within and peer through an opening.

He is unthinkable, formless, unfathomable, concealed, unimpeachable, compact, impenetrable, devoid of imperfection, pure, brilliant, fearful, unproduced, omniscient, munificent, immeasurable, without beginning or end, illustrious, unborn, intelligent, indescribable, the creator of all, the lord of all, nearer to everything than its own self.

2 The Mighty, the meters, the hymns, the chants, the summer season, the breath, the moon, the angels, issue forth to the south. They shine, they rain, they praise, they enter again within and peer through an opening.

He is without beginning or end, unmeasured, unlimited, not to be moved by another, independent, devoid of likeness, formless, of endless power, the creator, the enlightener.

3 The winds, the meters, the hymns, the chants, the rainy season, the breath, the planet Venus, the angels, issue forth to the west. They shine, they rain, they praise, they enter again within and peer through an opening.

He is tranquil, soundless, fearless, sorrowless, blissful, satisfied, steadfast, immovable, immortal, enduring, the All-Pervading, the ultimate abode.

4 The angels, the meters, the hymns, the chants, the autumn season, the breath, the All-Seeing, issue forth to the north. They shine, they rain, they praise, they enter again within and peer through an opening.

He is pure within, clean, tranquil, selfless, endless.

5 The Friend and the All-Seeing, the meters, the hymns, the chants, the winter and the dewy seasons, the breath, the moon, issue forth above. They shine, they rain, they praise, they enter again within and peer through an opening.

. . . He who is called Om, the Guide, the brilliant, the sleepless, the ageless, the deathless, the sorrowless.

6 The planets, serpents, men, birds, deer, elephants, and the like issue forth below. They shine, they rain, they praise, they enter again within and peer through an opening.

. . . He who is intelligent, the avenger, within all, imperishable, pure, clean, shining, patient, tranquil.

The one unlimited Lord of the whole world

7 He, truly, indeed, is nearer than the jugular vein within the heart, very subtle, shining like fire, encompassing all things by His knowledge. This whole world is dependent on Him. On Him creatures here depend.

He is free from evil, ageless, deathless, sorrowless, free from uncertainty, free from fetters, whose conception is the Truth, whose desire is the Truth. He is the supreme Lord. He is the ruler of beings. He is the protector of beings. He is the barrier that keeps the order of the worlds.

This God, assuredly, indeed, is the Lord, the Beneficent, the Existent, the Healer and Avenger, the Creator, the Creator of all, the Truth, the Giver of life, the Commander, the Teacher, the Unshaken, the All-Pervading — all these are His beautiful names.

He who made the fire, and He who is here in the heart, and He who made yonder sun — He is One.

To Thee who art this, hidden from every eye, be adoration!

Warnings against the disorderly and against false teachers

8 Now then, the hindrances to knowledge, O king.

Verily, the source of the net of delusion is the fact of the association of one who is worthy of the Garden with those who are not worthy of the Garden. That is it. Although a grove is said to be before them, they cling to a low shrub.

Now, there are some who are continually hilarious, continually abroad, continually begging, continually living upon handicraft.

And moreover, there are others who are town-beggars, who perform rites for the unworthy, and who, though ignorant, pose as knowing the Scriptures.

And moreover, there are others, who are rogues, dancers, mercenaries, pretended wanderers, actors, renegades in the royal service, and the like.

And moreover, there are others who falsely wear the red robe, ear-rings, and skulls.

And moreover, there are others who love to be a stumbling-block among believers by the stratagem of deceptive arguments in a circle, and false and illogical examples.

With these one should not associate. Verily, these creatures are evidently robbers, unfit for the Garden. For thus has it been said: —

By the jugglery of a doctrine that denies the soul,

By false comparisons and proofs

Disturbed, the world does not discern

What is the difference between knowledge and ignorance.

Warning against ignorance and perverted doctrine

9 [The account of Brihaspati becoming Sukra and the creation of ignorance for the destruction of the Asuras: removed as myth of gods and devils.]

By this ignorance men declare that the inauspicious is auspicious, and that the auspicious is inauspicious. They say that there should be attention to a law which is destructive of revelation and of other Scriptures. Hence, one should not attend to this teaching. It is false. It is like a barren woman. Mere pleasure is the fruit thereof, as also of one who deviates from the proper course. It should not be entered upon. For thus has it been said: —

Widely opposite and asunder are these two:

Ignorance, and what is known as 'knowledge.'

I think Naciketas desirous of obtaining knowledge!

Many desires rend thee not.

Those abiding in the midst of ignorance,

Self-wise, thinking themselves learned,

Hard smitten, go around deluded,

Like blind men led by one who is himself blind.

Warning against devilish, false doctrine

10 Verily, the angels and the devils, being desirous of the truth about the soul, came into the presence of their Lord. They did obeisance and said: 'Lord, we are desirous of the truth about the soul. So, do You tell us.'

Then, He said that those devils were desirous of a different teaching from the true one. Therefore a very different doctrine was told to them.

Upon that fools here live their life with intense attachment, destroying the saving raft and praising what is false. They see the false as if it were true, as in jugglery.

Hence, what is set forth in the revelation — that is true! Upon what is told in the revelation — upon that wise men live their life. Therefore a scholar should not study what is contrary to revelation. This should be the purpose.

The light of God in the heart, stirred into all-pervading manifestation by meditation on 'Om'

11 Assuredly, the nature of the space within the heart is the same as the supreme bright power. This has been manifested in threefold wise: in fire, in the sun, and in the breath of life.

Verily, the nature of the space within the heart is the same as the remembrance of God.

With this remembrance, indeed, that bright power is raised up from the depths, goes upwards, and is breathed forth. Verily, therein is a perpetual support for meditation upon God.

In the stirring up, that is like the action of smoke; it rises up into a great tree in the sky, issuing forth into one branch after another.

That is like the casting forth of salt into water, like the heat in melted butter, like the range of the thought of a meditator.

On this point they quote: 'Now, wherefore is it said to be like lightning? Because in the very moment of going forth it lights up the whole body.'

Therefore, one should reverence God, whose bright power is unlimited.

[The verses on the persons in the right and left eye, 'this one is Indra; this, his wife': removed.]

The utterance of the various sounds of the alphabet, produced by breath started from the mind

4 The mind stirs up the body's fire.

The fire then sets in motion wind;

The wind then, moving through the chest,

Produces pleasurable sound.

5 As stirred in heart by means of fire of friction,

Less is it than the least; in throat, is doubled;

And know that on the tongue-tip it is trebled;

Come forth, it is the alphabet! — They say thus.

The true seer of the All beyond all evil

6 The seer sees not death,

Nor sickness, nor any distress.

The seer sees only the All,

Obtains the All entirely.

The four conditions of a person

7 He who sees with the eye, and he who moves in dreams,

He who is deep asleep, and he who is beyond the deep sleeper —

These are a person's four distinct conditions.

Of these the fourth is greater than the rest.